It is too easy to write off a promising season to the injury of a key player. Particularly when it’s a young team and the injury is to a senior player. Last season the wise heads were all nodding “No Ablett; no Suns.”

It is not going to be “no Davis, no GIANTS”, “no Patfull, no GIANTS”. I cross fingers though when I think “No Mumford, no GIANTS.”

No GWS, there’s no excuses.

Leon said it right – “When one soldier goes down, another soldier takes his place”. So we anointed Caleb Marchbank and Jack Steele, the pick of the GIANTS’ 2014 academy class. We brought back Palmer. Phillips and Lobb would share the ruck duties

That was the plan. Then Phillips pulled out on Friday with a back injury. Then Tom Scully was too sick to play.

No GWS, there’s no excuses.

When they have to re-do the coin toss you just know it’s not going to be a good night.

Goldstein, the other form ruckman of the competition, easily bats down the ball to a North player and they’re on the board within a minute. And then they do it all again with barely a GIANT in sight. The only response is to sigh and hope.

When it happens in the second quarter you grumble, sigh and hope.

Then when it takes just a little longer for it to happen in the third quarter, you just grumble.

And when it happens in the fourth quarter, you tell yourself that real fans don’t leave early.

Come on guys, there’s no excuses.

North played with the nonchalance of experience and confidence. They found their targets. They moved the ball effortlessly. They knew where their targets were and they were usually well ahead of their GWS opponent. Ziebell appeared to be invisible to GWS; no one seemed to be near him.

It seemed that every time the ball entered the Kangaroos inside 50 that they would kick a goal. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that they seemed to be wayward. Even Robin Nahas, the player we’d laugh about as Richmond’s offer for Jaegar O’Meara in 2012, kicked four. Last year Caleb was barracking for Petrie; now he had to try and contain him.   That was the challenge.

(Note GWS, it’s a challenge, not an excuse).

When the GIANTS got inside 50 it was nowhere near as productive. Our first score was a rushed behind. It took way too long for James Stewart to actually get success from a ruck contest, rove his own ball and kick the first goal. The GIANTS’ accuracy was appalling – at three quarter time we had more scoring shots than the Kangaroos and a 23 point deficit.

However by the third quarter there was actually a chance. There was hope. It didn’t matter that we weren’t winning the ball in the middle. We were crumbing, pressuring, forcing turn-overs and eventually kicking straight. Rhys Palmer took the lead and kicked three. Down back Heath Shaw was running, running, running and yelling, yelling, yelling and tidying up. Griffen was stepping up as though he’s finally gotten used to the orange and playing a cool experienced head down back.

So after bringing the margin back to 23 on three quarter-time, what on earth happened in the fourth quarter?

We were playing like it was 2012 all over again. Boys on men. On paper it was that – an average of 58 games compared to 150 or so. There was nothing in the tank and North just kept on going, more than doubling their lead. And the only response was a behind barely before the siren.

North Melbourne were deserved winners. I didn’t think anyone did anything spectacular. They just did their job super-efficiently and super-effectively.

There’s no excuses for the GWS loss. We’ve got the makings of a midfield that will win us premierships. But not if they play like that. Dylan Shiel probably copped his first hard tag and Jacobs did very well to nullify any influence on the game. Handballing to each other while working out what to do isn’t necessarily going to get the ball down to a target.

Not all was lost however. I liked what I saw from Steele. 17 possession and 10 tackles; pretty good stats for a first game and an attitude of never surrender. Griffen looks more comfortable and playing better. Plowman played in the NEAFL – a key defender returning when we need one. And then there’s the bye – time to rest weary bodies and work out selection options.

We play Richmond in thirteen days. We’ve got a winning record and we’re still in the eight. Richmond are on the fringe – it’s time for GWS to show what we’re made of.

No excuses.

Kath is a Foundation GIANTS member who loves to cheer them on from her seat just over the players’ race.  Away from footy Kath is a wife, mum, lawyer and manager of the Mighty Penrith GIANTS Under 9s.

More GWS stories, and other fan-writing can be found on the GIANTS page at www.footyalmanac.com.au